Gaming Consoles Posts - Page 18

Microsoft is set to release the Xbox One without the Kindle bundled in, available on June 9 with a $399 price tag. The company also is shaking things up so Live Gold subscription will no longer be necessary for access to Netflix, YouTube, HBO Go, Hulu Plus - and also won't be necessary for OneGuide, Internet Explorer, or other premium services.

Microsoft still believes the Xbox One game console bundled with Kinect offers gamers "the best experience," though understands that a cheaper solution must be made available to customers. However, the $399 price point puts it on the same level of the Sony PlayStation 4 game console, which continues to outsell the Xbox One worldwide.

A rumor is making the rounds that claims a couple of the most popular video streaming services will be offered to Xbox users who don't have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Those two services are Hulu and Netflix. Some other unnamed streaming media apps will also be offered with no Xbox Live Gold subscription according to the rumor.

One bad thing about this rumor is that the sources also claim that to make up for potential lost revenue from moving streaming media in front of the pay wall, Xbox might put some other services behind the pay wall for the first time.

This morning Blizzard announced the console launch date of its Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition title. The game will launch on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles later this year on August 19th, and is expected to retail in the $60 price range for next-gen consoles and $40 price range for the older consoles.

"The Ultimate Evil Edition brings Reaper of Souls to console gamers for the first time, and wraps all of the content, features, and updates we've released for Diablo III into one epic package," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Whether you're a veteran of the crusade against the forces of evil on PC or are just stepping foot into Sanctuary for the first time, there's never been a better time to experience Diablo III from the comfort of your couch."

To better compete with the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft might decide to unbundle the Kinect from its Xbox One game console, according to research firm IDC. The Xbox One is struggling to try and keep up with global PS4 sales, and has already cut prices on its game console.

"If Microsoft unbundles the Kinect sensor from the Xbox One console as we expect in 2015, this should lead to rough price parity with the PS4 and reset the sales dynamic at retail," said Lewis Ward, IDC Research Director of Gaming, in a press statement. "We project this change will lead to enough of a console sales bump that Xbox One will emerge with the largest installed base of any console in North America by the end of 2016."

Meanwhile, IDC believes the PS4 should still outpace the Xbox One worldwide, with continued popularity in Japan and Europe.

When the Sony PS4 originally launched many gamers were annoyed at the blue light bar on top of the console's DualShock 4 game controller. The annoyance was because the light reflected in the TV and was too bright for some user's tastes.

Developers at Sony say that the big problem for them was that they were unable to tell anyone what that bright blue light was actually for. They are now speaking out and have said that the light bar is actually there to support Project Morpheus. We talked about that Sony VR headset about back in March.

Nintendo have been fighting an uphill battle to get attention to their newest console, the WiiU, this week posting a $229 million loss, a far cry from the rivers of gold that flowed to the company during the previous generation.

But on the eve of one of their highest profile releases of the year from one of their most loved franchises, they're giving die-hard and casual fans alike a good reason to take a new console home.

With all physical and downloadable copies of Mario Kart 8, Nintendo will offer a code to download for the Nintendo eShop for your choice of a free full version WiiU game, from the following ten titles:Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, GAME & WARIO, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Sonic Lost World (Wii U version) , Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games andWii Party U.

The generous offer will be offered for a limited time only. Mario Kart WiiU goes on sale on May 30th in the United States and Europe and on May 31st in Australia.

Nintendo hasn't been doing well over the last few years as it continually posts major losses. The Nintendo Wii U game console continues to be unpopular with gamers and is a major part of the financial woes for the company. Reports have surfaced that claim Nintendo is set to roll out a new game console as early as 2015 or 2016.

If you are hoping for a high-end console to help Nintendo get back to some of the gaming glory it enjoyed years ago, you will be disappointed. According to reports, Nintendo is looking at building a cheaper game console for gamers in developing markets. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata has said that the console will be aimed at gamers in developing nations with a lower budget.

Nintendo fans are up in arms after the company made a decision that will block players from forming gay relationships in the new Tomodachi Life video game that is coming to the US market soon. The game is described as a life simulator.

Tomodachi Life was a hit in Japan and reportedly sold 1.83 million copies. It will land in North America and Europe on June 6. Nintendo has said that it was not trying to make any sort of social commentary by not including gay relationships in the game.

Activision is expecting big things from its coming video game called Destiny developed by Bungie. Destiny is one of the most expensive games that Activision has ever produced and word on the PS4 beta for the game has now surfaced. Activision will be kicking that beta off in July.

The beta will be available for PS3 and PS4 gamers who pre-order the game for their console. Activision is expecting this game to be huge and has gone so far as to say that Destiny will be its next billion-dollar franchise.

Until now, you've probably never heard of Analogue Interactive... well, the company has just unveiled its retro gaming machine, the Analogue Nt. Analogue Nt features the same hardware found inside of the NES console, but in a beautiful single block of "6061 aluminum".

The Analogue Nt supports all of the original NES peripherals, including the Zapper light gun for some Duck Hunt shenanigans. All of the original NES cartridges are compatible, including the Japanese Famicon gear. The Analogue Nt features HDMI out for 1080p goodness, but keep in mind that those old games won't look that great blown up to 1920x1080.

How much will a trip down memory lane in a new shell cost you? $500. An HDMI adapter, something that doesn't come included in the package, will cost you $50. If you don't want the stock aluminum color, you can get a new shell for $50. For "new" NES controllers, you're looking at $50, and for refurbished models are priced at $30.